WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BEATEN BY EMERSON, 65-37

BOSTON, MA - Freshman guard/forward Olivia DiNucci (Pittsburgh, PA) netted a game-high 19 points on 7-11 from the floor to lead the Emerson College women's basketball team over host University of Massachusetts Boston, 65-37, this evening at the Clark Athletic Center on the UMass Boston campus. The Lions improve to 7-8 on the season, while the Beacons fall to 4-12.

Emerson shot 49.1% (27-55) from the floor, while holding UMass Boston to just 23.6% (13-55).

The Lions scored the first five points of the contest and never looked back as they jumped out to a 15-5 lead with 12:37 to play in the opening half. Senior guard/forward Caroline Ashe (West Roxbury, MA) later canned a three-pointer for the Beacons to pull them to within 18-12 with 7:26 showing in the first half, but Emerson closed out the half on a 13-5 run to take a 31-17 lead at the intermission.

The Lions maintained a 35-20 lead with 17:26 to play in the second half, before putting the game away with a 21-6 stretch, fueled by eight points by DiNucci, to take a 56-26 advantage with 7:10 showing on the second half clock. Freshman guard Elizabeth Dow (Marshfield, MA) later knocked down a jumper to cut the deficit to 60-34 with 3:04 remaining in the contest, but it would be as close as UMass Boston would get the rest of the way as Emerson scored the next five points to take its largest lead of the night at 65-34 with 1:49 to go.

DiNucci added four rebounds, a steal and an assist in 26 minutes for the Lions, while junior center Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, CA) contributed with 10 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 18 minutes of action. Junior Kathy Andrade (Hull, MA) chipped in with 10 points, three boards, two assists and a steal in 23 minutes and freshman guard Jackie Williams (Lorton, VA) led all playmakers with five assists to go with eight points and three steals.

Junior forward Cammy Brown (Malden, MA) led the Beacons with 10 points and added five rebounds, while sophomore forward Molly Rattigan (Dorchester, MA) netted seven points, grabbed seven rebounds, made a steal and blocked a pair of shots. Dow finished the night with seven points, three rebounds, three steals and an assist and sophomore guard Jaci Goodwin (Melrose, MA) chipped in with two points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.

UMass Boston will be in action again when it travels to Keene, NH on Saturday, January 23 for a 1:00 p.m. meeting with Little East Conference foe Keene State College, while Emerson hosts Lasell College on January 23 at 12:00 p.m.